Town of McCandless, PA Animals

Anyone who treats a person who has received a bite or laceration caused by an animal shall immediately report such injury to the Police Department. The report should give the name, age, sex and address of the patient, date of occurrence, name and address of the animal's owner, if known, along with a description of the animal as to breed, sex, age, color and history of vaccination.

The Police Department or Town authorities shall investigate the biting incident and notify the animal owner, using the quarantine notice provided by the Allegheny County Health Department, that the animal must be quarantined for not less than 10 days following the evening of the day of the bite.

Following the investigation of each biting incident, the Police Department or other Town authorities shall send a report to the Allegheny County Health Department of the incident.

§ 701.03 Quarantine of biting animal.

[Ord. 637, passed 11-26-1973]

The owner of any dog, cat or other animal which bites any person, regardless of the circumstances or whether the animal is vaccinated for rabies protection or not, shall report the incident to the Police Department and shall confine the animal, either within an enclosure at home, a veterinary hospital or by restraining by a leash composed of a chain or other indestructible material, for a period of not less than 10 days following the evening of the day of the bite.

Any such animal which should die during the ten-day quarantine period shall not be destroyed. Instead, the head shall be removed and submitted within 12 hours following the animal's death to a qualified official laboratory for examination. A full description of the animal's breed, sex, age, vaccination, if any, owner's name, address and telephone number, and the name, address and telephone number of the person or persons bitten shall be submitted to the laboratory.

§ 701.04 Dog vaccination.

[Ord. 637, passed 11-26-1973; Ord. 820, passed 6-22-1981]

Dogs to be Vaccinated.

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor or own any dog over six months of age within the legal confines of the Town of McCandless unless such dog has been vaccinated against rabies with an approved vaccine, by a veterinarian licensed to practice veterinary medicine.

Every person keeping, harboring or having any dog over six months of age in the Town shall cause such dog to be vaccinated with approved rabies vaccine by a licensed veterinarian as aforesaid on or before the latest of the following dates:

One year after vaccination with tissue phenolized vaccine.

Three years after vaccination with chick embryo vaccine.

Thirty days after first acquiring such a dog or 30 days after the dog reaches six months of age.

Thirty days after the effective date of this ordinance.

Thirty days after bringing such dog into the legal boundaries of McCandless Township.

Re-vaccination of dogs.

Every person keeping, harboring or having a dog within the limits of the Town, which has been vaccinated with an approved chick embryo vaccine, shall cause such dog to be re-vaccinated within a period of not more than 36 months after such prior vaccination.

Every person keeping, harboring or having a dog within the Town, which has been vaccinated with tissue phenolized vaccine, shall cause such dog to be re-vaccinated within a period of not more than 12 months after such prior vaccination.

Certificate of vaccination. Any veterinarian who vaccinates a dog with approved rabies vaccine shall issue to the owner of such dog a vaccination tag to be worn by such dog at all times and a certificate stating the name and address of the owner, the kind of vaccine used and the name of the manufacturer and manufacturer's serial, or lot number of the vaccine, the date of vaccination, the breed, age, color and sex of the vaccinated dog, and the year and serial number of the vaccination tag. A carbon copy of the certificate shall be kept on file by Town authorities.

§ 701.05 Impounding.

[Ord. 637, passed 11-26-1973]

Any dog, cat or other pet animal which exhibits clinical symptoms suggestive of rabies shall, after written certification by Town authorities, be impounded for 10 days at impounding facilities approved by the Town, at the owner's expense, for clinical observation.

All veterinarians in the Town shall report at once all suspected cases of rabies to the Town authorities.

§ 701.06 Animals exposed to rabies.

[Ord. 637, passed 11-26-1973]

Any dog, cat or other pet animal which has been exposed to rabies shall either:

Be immediately killed in some humane manner; or

Be put in strict isolation in a kennel or animal hospital for a period of six months; or

If no previous vaccination has been given within a period of three years with chick embryo vaccine, or within one year with tissue phenolized vaccine, post exposure treatment shall be administered and the animal shall be confined in a kennel for three months. Post exposure treatment shall consist of the administration of anti-rabies serum followed by one to three doses of chick embryo vaccine within seven days, or 14 injections of tissue phenolized vaccine; or

(d)

If the animal has been vaccinated previously within one year with tissue phenolized vaccine, or within three years with chick embryo vaccine, the animal shall be re-vaccinated and restrained by a leash or confined at home for a period of 30 days.

§ 701.07 Hunting.

[Ord. 315, passed 5-22-1961]

On and after the effective date of this section (Ordinance 315, passed May 22, 1961) no person shall hunt wild birds or wild animals, by any method, within the limits of the Town, except that nothing in this clause shall be construed to prevent any person from trapping animals in such manner as may be permitted by the Game Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Hunting, for the purposes of this section, is the conduct or activity of any person, which, under the Game Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, requires the open display of a hunting license.

§ 701.08 Dogs, cats and other animals, regulations and prohibitions.

[Ord. 1029, passed 2-26-1990]

Any dog, cat or other animal which does any of the following is hereby declared to be a nuisance:

[Amended 8-26-2019 by Ord. No. 1491]

Is kept in a manner so as to create offensive odors or unsanitary conditions which are a menace to the health, comfort or safety of the public; or

Habitually barks, howls, screeches, yelps or bays, thereby disturbing the quiet of any person or the community; or

(3)

Scratches, digs or defecates upon any lawn, tree, shrub, plant, building or any other public or private property other than the property of the owner or person in charge or control of such animal.

No person shall keep or harbor a dog, cat or other animal in a manner which constitutes a nuisance. No person shall permit a dog, cat or other animal to commit a nuisance upon any school grounds or other public property or upon any private property other than that of the owner or person in charge of such animal; provided, however, if the owner or person in charge of such animal immediately removes all feces deposited by such animal and disposes of same in a sanitary manner, such type of nuisance shall be considered abated.

Any person with defective eyesight or hearing who relies upon a dog specifically trained for such purposes shall be exempt from compliance with this section.

(d)

The keeping of chickens for personal use and enjoyment, and any coop or run used for such purpose, is subject to the following requirements:

[Added Ord. No. 1515, 7/26/2021]

Upon issuing zoning approval for the erection of a chicken coop, the Town shall issue a certificate of approval. The certificate must be displayed on the coop.

Care of chickens.

All chickens must be in a coop, chicken run, or fenced area at all times. Chickens may be in a securely fenced yard if supervised so that they cannot stray beyond the premises on which they are secured. The chickens shall be secured within the coop during nondaylight hours.

Chickens shall be provided with access to feed and clean water at all times. All feed, water, and other such items associated with the keeping of chickens shall be properly stored in a clean and sanitary manner so as to prevent the infestation of rats, mice, or other rodents.

Chicken droppings shall be removed and collected daily in a rat-proof and fly-tight container. The container shall remain closed when waste is not being added or removed. At least twice a week, the waste in the container shall be disposed in a manner that eliminates the presence of fly larvae.

No person shall keep or harbor chickens in the Town in a manner that creates an offensive odor, excessive noise, or unsanitary conditions which disturb neighboring residences or threatens public health.

(3)

Chicken coops and runs.

Chicken coops and runs shall be easy to access, clean, and maintain; designed to prevent injury to the birds; and provide natural lighting.

Coops and chicken runs shall provide shade in the warm weather, suitable protection from inclement weather, and adequate ventilation.

A chicken run shall be adequately fenced to contain the chickens on the property and to prevent predators from gaining access to the chicken run.

Pine shavings or straw should be used for the chicken bedding. The owner shall regularly clean out any wet or compacted litter and shall remove slippery surfaces.

A chicken coop shall be enclosed on all sides and shall have a roof and doors. Access doors must be able to be shut and locked at night. Openings, windows, and vents must be covered with vermin-, predator- and bird-proof wire of 1/2-inch hardware cloth.

Materials used for making a chicken coop shall be uniform for each element of the enclosure such that the walls are made of the same material, the roof has the same shingles or other covering, and any windows or opening are constructed using the same materials. The use of scrap, waste board, or similar material is prohibited. A coop shall be painted or stained; the color shall be in harmony with the surrounding area.

(4)

Composting. Chicken manure may be composted only on the property where the chickens are housed with the composted material then applied to the property's gardens or yards.

(5)

No person shall keep a rooster.

§ 701.09 Feeding deer.

[Added Ord. No. 1513, 3/8/2021]

No person shall knowingly, purposefully, or intentionally feed deer, cause deer to be fed, or provide food to deer on any public or private property in the Town of McCandless. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, disbursement of any fruit, grain, vegetable, commercially sold wildlife feed, birdseed, livestock feed, or other material, on the ground, at a feeding station, a feeding device, or in a container of any form; providing salt or mineral lick/block; or any other means which serves to provide feed or nutrition to deer, or results in the attraction of deer in the Town of McCandless. This prohibition shall not include live vegetation such as ornamental landscaping, flowers, trees, vines, or vegetable gardens. This prohibition shall also not apply to licensed veterinarians, Animal Control Officers, or county, state, or federal game officials who are in the course of their duties and have deer in their custody or management.

The duty of administering and enforcing the provisions of this section is hereby conferred upon the Code Enforcement Officer or any such person as may be designated by the Town Manager, and enforcement actions shall be initiated by the issuance of a nontraffic citation for any violation of this section.

It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section if a person places or disburses fruit, grain, vegetable, bird or livestock feed, salt or mineral licks, or other materials, in good faith, to feed wild birds, domestic livestock, or household pets such as dogs and cats owned and located on the property that is the subject of the enforcement action.

§ 701.99 Penalty.

[Ord. 315, passed 5-22-1961; Ord. 637, passed 11-26-1973; Ord. 1029, passed 2-26-1990]

Any person violating any provision of Sections 701.01 through 701.06 shall be fined not more than $300.

Any person violating any provision of Section 701.07 shall be fined not more than $100 and, in default of payment, shall be imprisoned for not more than 30 days. All fines collected upon conviction or upon forfeiture of bail shall be paid to the Town Treasurer.

Any person violating any provision of § 701.08 or 701.09 shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment or to pay a fine not to exceed a maximum of $500, according to the following schedule:

[Amended 8-26-2019 by Ord. No. 1491; Ord. No. 1513, 3/8/2021]

Upon the first violation: $50.